By Women’s World Banking In March of 2018, Women’s World Banking announced the launch for She Counts, a global platform that harnesses the power of financial services to put savings and financial tools in the hands of women, enabling them to plan for a more prosperous future. Through extensive due diligence to identify the institutions exemplifying best practices in savings,…

Yashmin Fernandes, Director of Development and Partner Engagement The opening Plenary Session at the Making Finance Work for Women Summit discussed the progress and the opportunities ahead in financially empowering low-income women in the developing world. Four key themes emerged: the role of digital, policy design, a broader tent, and leadership skills are necessary to make finance work for women….

By Diana Boncheva Gooley, Manager, Digital Financial Services A strategic approach to investing in women can power economies. It was only fitting that after a day of exciting presentations, debates and discussions, Women’s World Banking closed out the Making Finance Work for Women Summit with five amazing women leaders who shared the three elements we need to have the most significant…

By Angelika Mendes-Lowney, Manager, Development & Partner Engagement The concept of gender lens investing as a powerful strategy to achieve positive financial and social returns is rapidly increasing. In a workshop during Women’s World Banking’s “Making Finance Work for Women” summit on November 7, discussions highlighted that the time is right for gender lens investing but a few barriers are…

By Mansi Gupta, Design Specialist Accounts in India have one of the highest dormancy rates in the world. Women’s World Banking undertook research to determine why women aren’t saving actively in a bank and tested prototypes to change that behavior. What we found is that breaking the status quo requires shifting the perception of saving with a bank along with prompting…

Egypt is on the road to recovery after the 2011 revolution, and financial inclusion is growing at a steady pace. But even though women’s financial inclusion is on the rise, the gender gap is widening. Women’s World Banking’s strategy for closing the financial inclusion gender gap in Egypt targets the players and the solutions that will ensure women benefit from,…

By Women’s World Banking Women in Bangladesh have the highest-ever rates of literacy and employment, and the country’s economy is growing. Financial inclusion now stands at more than 50 percent, nearly doubling in the past few years. But the financial inclusion gender gap is growing rapidly too, with fewer than half of women accessing or using formal financial services. Women’s…

October 14, 2018, JAKARTA – An important editorial on widening women’s access to financial services by Taimur Baig, Chief Economist of DBS Bank and member of Women’s World Banking’s Southeast Advisory Council, has been published in a special IMF edition of The Jakarta Post. The 2016 Financial Inclusion Survey, carried out by the Financial Service Authority (OJK), was characterized by…

By Jamille Bigio At her food stall in the largest open-air market in Lagos, Nigeria, Amaka Charles regularly checks her cell phone for her bank account balance. She is saving for her daughter’s school fees and dreaming of a loan to expand her business beyond crayfish. Every day, she passes her few dollars of profit to Celestina, the bank agent…

By Mansi Gupta, Design Specialist, Women’s World Banking “If a hospital isn’t involved, I’m healthy enough.” Women’s World Banking spoke with women in India to better understand their views on health, health emergencies and the role of insurance. By understanding their attitudes on health issues, Women’s World Banking will work to increase uptake and usage of microinsurance in India. Health…